Method of making valve-packing.



F. Y. NlCHoLs.

` METHOD or MAKING vALvE PACKING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. I9I4.

Patented N0vf30, 19I5.

FREDRICK Y. NICHOLS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF MAKING VALVE-PACKING.

specificati@ qf Letters Patent. Patented Nov, 30,1915

-Applicatonled November y2'?, 1914. Serial No. 874,097`

To all whom t may concern.'

.Be it known that I, FREDRICK Y.

NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Chicago, in the county ,of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Methods of Making Valve-Packing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful method of making packing rings and disks ufor pumps and a new article of manufacture.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a. new and useful method of making packing rings or disks for pumps whereby to increase the durability and eiiciency of such devices.

Another object of my invention is to provide animproved packing ring or disk for pumps whereby hot and cold water, acids and other like liquids may be handled by -the pump provided with my improved pack- 1ng.

Y Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a schematic arrangement for impregnating strips of fabric with rubber and windingsamev on a suitable size mandrel. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the mandrel with the fabric wound thereon showing a few of the rings cut from'the fabric cylinder. Fig. 3 shows one means for cuttingthe rings from the cylinder. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the finished product.

'In all the views the same reference char-y acters are employed to indicate similar parts.

The ordinary vulcanized andvsemi-vulcanized rubber packing rings for pumps do not successfully meet all of the requirements of ideal packing. The character of the krings in softness or hardness must be tempered proportional to the temperature of the water to be pumped. Premature crumbling and disintegration ensues and inefficiency results unless the character and quality ofthe material is suited to the duties to be performed.

In carrying my invention into effect I saturate .a suitable fabric, such yas unblea/ched cotton, muslin or the like, with rubber' or rubber compound, and wind the fabric on a mandrel finto a tight compact cylinder, of superposed convolutions, and

then cut the cylinder so formed into a series of packing :rings of required width, the innerand outer diameters being determined by the mandrel and the number of convolutions. I then separate the rings from each other, and'while on the mandrel I vulcanize the rings to produce a substantially homogeneous mass of each ring.

The rings are used in pump valves as disclosed in my copending application for patent for valves filed October 10, 1914, identified by Serial No. 866,006 wherein theedges of the fabric are brought into contact with the confronting surfaces of the valve seat during the operation of the valve, the outer andinner circumferential boundaries of the ring being supported by the body of the valve, the surrounding surfaces whereof are Hush with the seating surface of the rinlg. n n the diagrammatic representation of the machine for producing my fabric, 10 is a support for a roll 11, of suitable fabric, such as unbleached muslin, or the like, which is passed between a vertically fixed roll 12 and spring pressed roll 13 on the support 14. The spring 15 serves to hold the rolls 12 and 13irmly in contact and to straighten out the fabric as it passes through them and to provide a certain amount of Vtension on the fabric. A receptacle 16 contains the proper rubberl solution consisting of a preferably volatile solvent and pure gum, made into a desirable and suitable consistency by any means known to the art. The receptacle i6 carries a roller 17, which is. journaled therein, .and under which the fabric 11 passes into the solution. A support 18 carries an idle, receiving roller 19, and a mandrel 20, which is driven by any proper means. A spring pressed roller 21 bears upon the upper surface of the mandrel and is yieldingly held thereon by a spring 22 adjustable by the screw 23. The yielding roll 21 presses the respective superposedconvolutions of fabric 11 closely into contactand the spring 15 provides a yielding contents of the receptacle 16'. The diameter of the mandrel 20 will determine the inner diameter of the cylinder 1l or the rings 11"' to be cut therefrom and the external diameter of the cylinder 11, or rings 11F', will be determined by the number of convolutions wound upon the mandrel 20.

After the impregnated fabric has been Wound upon the mandrel 20, in the manner described, a means, such as a rotating disk or saw 25, carried upon the harbor 26, and rotating at a high speed in the direction of the arrow, maybe employed to divide the cylinder 11 into a series of rings or disks 11a. I prefer to have the cylinder 11 continue vto turn in the same direction as it turned at the time when it is being Wound, and I furthermore prefer to have the cylinder 21 make firm contact with the upper surface of the cylinder 11 While the disk or saw 25, is being rotated at a speed greater than that of the cylinder 11 during the cutting process. Any convenient means for cutting the rings 11a asunder from the cylinder l1' and separating them will come Within the contemplation of my invention.

After the cylinder 11 has been formed and the rings 11a cut therefrom as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the rings are then vulcanized by placing them in a suitable muffler, Aand heating them to the desired temperature in the usual method of vulcanizing rubber.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The process of-making packing rings for pumps consisting of incorporating a vulcanizable material with a fabric; Winding the fabric into cylinder form; dividing the cylinder into rings and vulcanizing the rings.

2. The process of making packing rings for pumps consisting of incorporating a vulcanizable material with a fabric; Winding the fabric into a cylinder, on a mandrel;

. dividing the cylinder into rings; separating the rings and vulcanizing the rings While on the mandrel.

3. The process of making packing rings for pumps consisting of incorporating a rubrber solution with a strip of unbleached muson a mandrel; applying pressure to the strip While being Wound; dividing the cylinder While under pressure'into rings; separating the rings and vulcanizing the rings While on the mandrel.

5. The process of making packing rings or the like, consisting of incorporating a vulcanizable material with a fabric, forming the fabric into a tube, dividing the tube transversely into sections, and vulcanizing the sections. l In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing FREDRICK Y. NICHOLS. In the presence of- STANLEY W. Coon,

FoRE BAIN.

Witnesses. 

